Several studies have analyzed the approach that Italians adopt when there is leftover food in a restaurant, while two proposals aimed at making so-called "doggy bags" a mandatory option for restaurateurs are advancing in the Government.
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FIPE-Confcommercio (Federazione Italiana Pubblici Esercizi, tr. Italian Federation of Public Establishments – the leading association in the catering, entertainment and tourism sector) and Comieco (Consorzio nazionale recupero e riciclo degli imballaggi a base cellulosica, tr. National consortium for the recovery and recycling of cellulosic based packaging), during a January press conference, presented a survey on the practice of taking home leftovers from meals not consumed in restaurants, to promote a debate on how to sensitize consumers and restaurateurs, as well as to assess the use of the doggy bag, the subject of some legislative proposals.
From this research, it emerged that only 15.5% of citizens take home unfinished food, despite the majority of restaurants (91.8%) being equipped to allow it. The percentage drops to 11.8% when considering wine instead of food.
According to restaurateurs and consumers, the reluctance of the latter to make such a request can be explained by embarrassment, inconvenience of carrying a container, or indifference.
However, the data shows that among consumers, awareness of reducing food waste is growing: 74% are in favor of the possibility of taking away unconsumed food, and for 22% of these, it is an important factor to consider when choosing a restaurant.
During the event, FIPE and Comieco renewed their collaboration, which, in 2019, launched the "Rimpiattino" project: the project distributed around 24,000 suitable paper containers to participating restaurants (875 restaurants in 22 different cities) for taking home unconsumed food and wine. The goal is to continue promoting this initiative, as it raises awareness of good practices regarding food waste and the value of food.
A survey conducted by the Waste Watcher International Observatory, on the other hand, revealed that consumers are generally in favor of the doggy bag to take unfinished food home from the restaurant: 47% of respondents stated they want it always available in establishments, while 32% suggested equipping themselves with reusable bags and containers; 26% of respondents also suggested that restaurateurs provide a brochure with tips and recipes for consuming leftovers at home and creating new dishes from leftover food.
Two recent legislative proposals go on this direction, both with the aim to «contribute to combating food waste»:
- the first proposal, presented in the Senate in December, not only provides for the obligation to provide doggy bags if requested, but also for displaying a logo outside the premises to inform customers of the possibility of taking their leftovers home;
- the second proposal, presented in January to the Chamber, proposes introducing an obligation for restaurateurs to provide disposable containers to customers who request them, to take home unfinished meal or beverage leftovers.
Restaurateurs' opinions on this matter are varied – in most cases, they are in favor of using doggy bags but not of making them mandatory by law. Concerns mentioned include: limiting the customer experience, which ideally should begin and end in the restaurant; the cost to restaurateurs for purchasing containers, which would ultimately be passed on to customers with price increases; the fact that even without obligation, it is already a common practice.
It is emphasized, however, that with the approval of the law, the restaurateur would be required to provide the container only if requested by the consumer, since the law aims to ensure customers that such a request cannot be refused to them.
Regarding Europe, in recent years, several countries have adopted laws to make doggy bags mandatory in restaurants, as they are considered useful for protecting consumers – who pay for what they order and should have the right to take it away – and for limiting food waste as much as possible. In 2022, a law came into force in Spain obliging restaurateurs to provide doggy bags to customers who request them and to inform them of this possibility before the start of service. In France, the law requiring the provision of doggy bags came into force in 2021, although since then, it has been criticized by many restaurateurs who consider it unhygienic and contrary to their culture.
However, it can be considered that, although doggy bags are a good tool to consolidate, it is necessary to establish a correct hierarchy of priorities and identify good practices aimed at reducing food waste, which could address the concerns expressed by restaurateurs.
To ensure that the customer experience begins and ends in the restaurant, an action could start with restaurateurs: rethinking menus and serving portions in their restaurant, following seasonality and customer requests. In particular, where there is a noticeable demand for taking away leftovers, it could be considered to serve smaller portions by default, or in any case, to offer customers the option of requesting a reduced portion or choosing the portion size of the dish (small, regular, large) when ordering something.
To avoid the cost of purchasing containers and the consequent increase in dish prices, the possibility could be to introduce for customers the action of bringing their own container, to allow them to take home unfinished food: although less immediate than disposable trays, it could be an excellent practice to limit the use of the latter, still contributing to reducing any food waste in the restaurant sector. This action would follow the model of Law 141/2019 (amendment to DL 111/2019), which allows bringing reusable containers from home to supermarkets, as long as they are clean and resealable. However, a criticism of this law is that it is little known, both among citizens and employees in the sector, so action would also need to be taken on this front.
Alessia Santoro
For further informations:
Spreco di cibo: doggy bag obbligatoria nei ristoranti, la proposta di Legge presentata alla Camera | Il testo (Eco dalle città)
Spreco alimentare, solo il 15,5% degli italiani chiede la doggy bag (Eco dalle città)
Da dove viene questa idea della “doggy bag” (il Post)
Dall’Ue obiettivi vincolanti per ridurre lo spreco alimentare (Eco dalle città)
Read also:
ANCI and Ministry of the Environment allies against food waste: the website dedicated to the Project is online.
How to combat food waste: good practices to follow